August 26, 2004
First Andrew Roccella Study Abroad Scholarship awarded
WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. – The parents of Andrew Roccella, a Purdue alumnus who died in a ferry accident this spring in Baltimore, were at Purdue Wednesday (Aug. 25) to award the first scholarship in their son's memory.
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Edward and Eileen Roccella, of Vienna, Va., presented the scholarship at a Study Abroad Welcome Back Reception in the North Ballroom of Purdue Memorial Union. Purdue President Martin C. Jischke spoke at the event.
Andrew Roccella, a 1999 graduate of the professional writing program and member of the lacrosse team, studied abroad in Italy in 1998. While there, he met his girlfriend, who also was in the Italian studies program. He had planned to propose to Corinne Schillings, a Purdue alumna who studied Italian and Spanish, the weekend of the ferryboat accident. She also died in the accident.
The first recipient of the Andrew Roccella Memorial Scholarship was Jonathan Osborn, La Porte, Ind., a major in economics and German. Osborn, who will be spending the 2004-05 academic year in Freiburg, Germany, said he was honored to be the first recipient and to have the chance to meet Roccella's parents.
"I heard that Andrew had a great experience in Study Abroad and that it was very important to him, which is why his parents chose to create this scholarship," Osborn said. "My initial thought was of Achilles' search for immortality in 'The Iliad.' He was in a conflict about whether to live a long and safe life or one that might end sooner but was lived more courageously. Andrew chose the more courageous life. How much more noble it is that his name will be remembered as giving the opportunity to others to experience the things that he thought were important."
The criteria for the Andrew Roccella Memorial Scholarship include a demonstrated interest and ability in one or more foreign languages, an explanation of how studying abroad will further the student's long-term goals, a minimum 3.0 overall grade point average, and a promise that the recipient will positively represent the values and culture of the United States while abroad.
Donations to the scholarship fund may be sent to: Andrew Roccella Memorial Study Abroad Scholarship, P.O. Box 211, Vienna, Va. 22180.
Winners of the ninth Annual Study Abroad Photo Contest will be announced during the Welcome Back Reception. The winning photos will be posted on the Study Abroad Web site on Thursday (Aug. 26).
Purdue's Study Abroad program has more than 200 programs in 45 countries, Western and Eastern Europe, Australia, Africa, Asia, and Latin and South America. Nearly 700 Purdue students studied abroad last year, and more than 900 were overseas this year. There are three types of study abroad programs, including a direct exchange with universities overseas or a co-sponsorship that is arranged through an outside organization. Two-thirds of the students are under direct Purdue faculty leadership. The program also offers short-term, multiple destination programs during the summer.
Writer: Reni Winter, (765) 496-3133, rwinter@purdue.edu
Sources: Michael Starks, (765) 494-9866, mstarks@purdue.edu
Jonathan Osborn, (765) 404-4965, osbornj@purdue.edu
Purdue News Service: (765) 494-2096; purduenews@purdue.edu
Related Web site:
Study Abroad Scholarships
PHOTO CAPTION:
Eileen Roccella, left, and her husband, Edward, of Vienna, Va., present the first Andrew Roccella Memorial Study Abroad Scholarship to Purdue student Jonathan Osborn, of La Porte, Ind., center, on Wednesday (Aug. 25) during a Study Abroad reception at the Purdue Memorial Union. The $500 scholarship, which Osborn will use to help fund his 2004-05 Study Abroad experience in Freiburg, Germany, is in memory of Purdue alumnus Andrew Roccella, who died in a ferryboat accident in March in Baltimore Harbor. The Roccellas established an endowment to support a scholarship for Purdue Study Abroad students. (Purdue News Service photo/Dave Umberger).
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